Meeting Makino
by silverwolf-fox
Summary: In a world full of tragedy, everyone could use a ray of sunshine. A collection of oneshots where your favorite tough guys meet a certain barmaid from Foosha Village. If anyone can be a light in their darkness, it's Makino. A lot fluffier than it sounds. Chps: Katakuri, Rosinante, Mihawk
1. Katakuri

**I just really wanted Katakuri to meet Makino.**

* * *

Never had he needed to travel so deep into the East Blue, but Katakuri knew there was no swaying Mama after she heard the rumors about Red-Haired Shanks making a base for himself within the weakest sea. This type of recon mission would normally never be given to a Sweet Commander, but travelling to the East Blue from Totto Land was a long and difficult journey, particularly when whoever goes runs the risk of crossing a Yonko.

The need for discretion helped dictate which of Big Mom's children was chosen for the mission, as many of them couldn't help but bring attention to themselves. Despite his size, Katakuri was quiet by nature and understood how to avoid any unnecessary conflict, one of the major reasons that Cracker had been passed over. In the end, it was decided that his mastery of all three types of Haki as well as his awakened Devil Fruit would lend him the greatest chance should Red Hair be on the island.

If word got out that a Sweet Commander of the Big Mom Pirates was sailing around this far outside her territory, it could cause problems with the Marines and the other Yonko, so Katakuri was in an unmarked ship without a jolly roger flying, a crew, or even a chef.

Sailing the East Blue was far more peaceful than the New World, he admitted, with calm waters, no sudden and unpredictable weather, and there hadn't been a single Sea King sighting since leaving the Grand Line.

Katakuri munched on the few rations he had picked up from the last island he docked at, but thankfully it wouldn't be long before he arrived at his destination. In fact, he could see an island on the horizon, and based on the coordinates he was given, it should be the one he's looking for.

Dawn Island.

There was a large port just outside the Kingdom of Goa, but it wasn't the sort of place a pirate was likely to moor, too many nearby nobles meant higher security, so Katakuri continued on. A fair amount of the shoreline was made up of cliffsides, but eventually he came across a small village with a single dock stretching out into the water. It was a secluded area, more appropriate to use as a pirate's hiding spot, and so Katakuri adjusted his sail.

From a distance he could see people walking along the dirt path, but by the time he tied up his ship, they had disappeared. Even without flying his family's jolly roger, Katakuri knew he cut an imposing figure at sixteen feet eight inches tall, decked out in spikes and leather, but it usually took more than simply arriving at the dock to scare all of the villagers into hiding.

The wooden planks lightly groaned beneath his weight as Katakuri made his way towards the town. With how small it was, there were no official dock hands to speak to, which would've been the obvious place to start asking about any other visiting pirate ships. Resisting the urge to sigh, Katakuri decided to search for a local tavern, the most likely place for Red Hair to have spent his time. Yonko or not, a pirate was still a pirate, after all.

His long legs quickly covered the distance from the shore to the village, and as he took in his surroundings, he had to admit it was a rather picturesque place. Beyond the perimeter of buildings were soft green pastures with cows and more than a few windmills. While it was no Komugi Island, he could appreciate the gentle quiet, even if a large factor was that everyone was currently hiding away in fear.

Sharp crimson eyes looked around. It was easy enough to disregard the common folk attempting to peer out their windows to catch a glimpse of him, though he kept his Observation sharp in the event someone attempted anything - not that they'd have any hope against the Sweet Commander.

Still within easy sight of the sea, there was a place called Partys Bar that Katakuri stopped outside of. While it was almost never an issue in Totto Land, a place designed to be accessible to all types, this clearly wasn't a place built with people of his size in mind. While contemplating his next move, he sensed someone running up behind him.

"Woah! You're huge!" Looking over his shoulder, Katakuri had to adjust his gaze even farther downward than normal to the child staring wide-eyed at him. A pale yellow tank top and jean shorts hung from the boy's lanky body with a straw hat sitting atop a head of shaggy black hair. A scar curved beneath one of his dark eyes, and although he didn't even reach the pirate's knees, there wasn't a glimmer of fear on his face. "Hey, hey! Are you a pirate?"

He didn't confirm it, but apparently the lack of a denial was enough for the kid to let loose a continuous stream of questions so fast that Katakuri didn't have a chance to speak even if he wanted to. Instead, he allowed the boy to ramble on. He obviously had an interest in pirates, so perhaps he'd mention something pertinent to the recon mission.

To be honest, he didn't mind so much, because a small part of the Big Mom Pirate was reminded of his younger siblings.

The door to Partys Bar opened, and a young woman walked out. "Luffy, was that you I heard ou- oh my!" Her surprised gasp when she came face to knee with the crimson haired pirate drew the attention of both. A yellow kerchief held back most of her dark green hair, aside from two locks framing a youthful face, and she was dressed plainly, in a simple blouse and skirt.

"Makino!" The boy, Luffy, Katakuri now knew, ran over to the woman and threw his arms around her waist. He pulled back and grinned. "This guy is a pirate just like Shanks!"

Katakuri's eyes widened imperceptibly. So Red-Haired Shanks had been here.

"Oh, is he?" As cheerfully interested as she sounded, Katakuri could sense the trepidation when she looked up at him with large brown eyes. She took a deep breath and crouched next to the young boy, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Luffy, I want you to go inside, okay? I'll be right in to make you something."

"What?!" His jaw dropped, and he rapidly looked between his newfound interest and her. "But-"

"Luffy." Her stern tone made Luffy pause, but Katakuri could see the smile hidden behind the serious expression. The kid's shoulders fell in defeat, but he perked up when she touched his cheek and promised, "I'll cook you something in a bit."

"Alright, Makino," he conceded, turning to wave at Katakuri before running inside the bar. "Bye, pirate guy!"

Now that Luffy was gone, the barmaid seemed to relax, if only a little.

"Thank you for indulging him," she made sure to say as if concerned Luffy could have irritated the pirate to the point of violence. Then Makino politely asked, with a small but fragile smile, "What brings you to Foosha Village?"

Katakuri eyed her thoughtfully. It didn't take Observation Haki to know what she was really asking. _Are you going to hurt us?_

"I'm not here to cause bloodshed." That isn't to say he wouldn't should the need arise. "Only seeking information."

"And once you have it?"

"Then I will leave."

The tension seemed to melt from her shoulders, and her smile became more sincere. For a brief moment, Katakuri appreciated how expressive she was, each emotion displayed clearly across her face, though he also frowned at her naivety for blindly taking a pirate at his word.

Seemingly content with his answers, Makino offered him a drink, a sign of good faith and a minor bribe to keep things peaceful, but she paused, perhaps realizing that he wouldn't be able to fit comfortably inside. Taking a moment to think, she mentioned there was a grassy area behind the building that made for a pleasant spot to sit and watch the windmills.

The woman and child obviously knew Red-Haired Shanks when he came to this island, so Katakuri decided to stay close to them and accepted the offer. She led him around and waited as he sat down where he'd be able lean against the side of the bar. Once he was settled, she inclined her head and properly introduced herself. "My name is Makino." Her eyes looked at him expectantly.

After returning her stare in stiff silence, he eventually replied, "Katakuri."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Katakuri. Is there anything you'd like to drink? We've also got food, if you're hungry. It's mostly standard bar fare, but I'm pretty quick on my feet if you're feeling something specific." The way she spoke was light, almost playful, and was matched by the teasing wink she gave him.

Katakuri was taken aback by the way the strange woman easily transitioned from wary of his presence to treating him like any average person visiting her bar. Her type of indiscriminate kindness was so rare amongst his siblings, even to each other, that he was honestly at a bit of a loss. He adjusted his scarf higher up his face to hide the burning sensation in his cheeks.

As for her offer of a meal...normally Katakuri would never accept, his necessity for privacy overtaking anything else, but he'd been without his chefs and a proper merienda for so long that he was developing an itch for it. Crimson eyes found her innocent brown gaze and quickly darted away.

"Tea," he quietly grumbled. Thanks to her honest face, Katakuri could see her surprise at his choice. No doubt she was used to pirates who preferred drowning themselves in beer and sake, but never did any hint of judgement for it appear in her eyes. Makino turned to go inside through the back door but paused when he added, "And something sweet."

She smiled, sweeter than any doughnut, and left. Closing his eyes, he let himself relax against the wooden building behind him. He reached out with his Observation, felt the dull spirits of grazing cattle, the ordinary civilians within the bar, nothing of any note, except for the tiny but strong spirit that seemed to be heading straight for him.

Katakuri cracked open his eyes and saw the boy from earlier practically vibrating in place next to him.

"So if you're a pirate, where's your pirate ship?"

"Elsewhere."

"What are you doing in Foosha?"

"Secret mission."

"But you're just sitting here." The clear confusion and disappointment in Luffy's voice almost made Katakuri chuckle. The boy really was like his little brothers and sisters. Anything short of glorious battle may as well be considered dull work that wasn't worth doing. On reflex, Katakuri did what he would've done for any of his siblings: pet the top of Luffy's head with a large finger, knocking askew the straw hat he wore, and made a large glob of mochi in the palm of his hand. Earlier disappointment forgotten, Luffy's eyes widened in wonder. "What's that?"

"Mochi." With all the trust only a child could have, Luffy wasted no time snatching it and stuffing it in his mouth.

Luffy straightened his hat, tugging it down tight over his head, and swallowed the large mouthful of mochi before erupting in a snickering, "_Shishishi._ So you have powers, too?!" Receiving a curious look from Katakuri, he hooked a finger in his mouth and pulled his cheek as far as he could before letting his snap back into place. "I'm a rubber person!"

A Devil Fruit user was one of the last things Katakuri expected from an island this deep in the East Blue, and especially not a child who had consumed one. This could be the opening he was looking for, though, if it came from who he suspected. "A Devil Fruit is very rare in this area. Where did you find it?"

"Shanks gave it to me!" Luffy proudly announced before his shoulders dropped at Katakuri's disbelieving stare, and he awkwardly glanced to the side and pouted. "Well...he left it right there and didn't say that I _couldn't_ eat it." That explanation didn't do anything to lessen the Sweet Commander's confusion. Either the Yonko gave a random child in the East a Devil Fruit or he left it exposed for the child to find on accident.

Neither inspired much faith in Red Hair, but it did confirm his suspicions.

"Does he come around often?" Katakuri asked, watching as Luffy amused himself by stretching his arms to grab the spike on his left knee guard in order to swing from it.

"Nah, not anymore."

"When was he last-"

"You aren't bothering Mr. Katakuri, are you, Luffy?" The boy immediately let go and dropped to the ground wearing the worst guilty face Katakuri had ever seen, dark eyes glancing off to the side while he attempted to innocently whistle.

"No," he lied. Makino, who had returned balancing a large, steaming teacup in one hand and a large cake in the other, simply hummed an amused affirmation.

"Well your food is on the counter inside, so go eat and then you should head back home before Ace starts to worry, okay?" The prospect of food had Luffy grinning, and he gave her a large hug, wrapping his rubber arms around her multiple times.

"Thanks, Makino! You're the best!" Wasting no time, he went to run inside, yelling back as he went, "Bye, Katamochi-man! Hope to see you again someday! You can join my crew!"

Shaking her head and not bothering to fight a smile, Makino walked closer to Katakuri and offered up the tea and cake. The teacup was larger than normal but was still dwarfed by the size of his hand, and she giggled apologetically, explaining that it was the largest one they had. She jumped back in surprise when he made a block of mochi from the ground next to him to use as a makeshift table.

Instead of going right back inside, a part of her would admit that she was curious about what was hidden beneath the fluffy looking scarf that covered the lower half of his face, but then his eyes fell on her and sharpened until she got the hint, raising her hands in benevolent surrender.

When he was alone, Katakuri built a small room around himself out of mochi, nothing as thick or ornate as usual, but enough to give himself the privacy he needed. He leaned forward, so it could surround him entirely like a protective shell. There was slight resistance from his scarf as he shifted, but it quickly gave way before the mochi formed in its place.

Reclined and feeling more relaxed than he had in weeks, Katakuri pulled off his customary scarf and indulged himself. He groaned happily sipping on the hot tea. Even though he hadn't specified, the oolong tea Makino had selected and sweetened with a dash of honey was perfect, and he already knew it would pair well with the dark chocolate cake she'd brought with it. Making his substitute merienda last was difficult as the taste was excellent, but there wasn't nearly as much as he was used to gorging himself on.

However much he wished otherwise, it wasn't long before he was finished. He replaced his scarf around his shoulders and regretfully allowed his mini mochi room to dissolve around him, maintaining the solid slope he was leaning against. It was more comfortable than leaning on the wooden building even if it didn't offer that much more of an incline. He couldn't be seen lying on his back, even in a small village hidden deep within the East Blue.

The bar door opened, and the barmaid poked her head out. "Finished already?" she observed, walking over. "I can bring out some more, if you'd like."

Katakuri forced himself to shake his head, not wanting to unleash his gluttonous side. Makino fell into a curious silence and stepped closer to him, closer than she had before. Even while sitting, he towered over her, but instead of being intimidated, she was distracted by something.

"There's a tear in your scarf," she remarked more to herself than him, but then she reached up as if you touch it. "It should be easy to sti-" Her words were cut off by startled cry when he grabbed her. Katakuri's hand covered most of her forearm, and there was enough pressure to warn her against what she'd attempted to do.

Her body was trembling, and Katakuri's harsh glare softened a fraction when he saw the terror in the wide-open brown eyes that refused to look away from him. He released her and ignored the uncomfortable feeling when she immediately fled inside, tugging his scarf higher up his face. A part of him felt...guilty for scaring the kind woman as badly as he did, and another part was annoyed. She would have been his best lead for information on Red-Haired Shanks, and it was doubtful she'd return anytime soon.

So he froze when Makino returned.

In her arms was a swathe of pale blue fabric, and even if her head was bowed, eyes glancing at him before nervously darting away, she still kept moving closer. When she stood by his bent knee, he could see she was shaking.

Makino placed the empty tea cup onto the plate and picked them up, replacing their spot on the mochi table with the fabric. "In case you'd like me to fix your s-scarf," she quietly offered before turning away, hoping to make a quick escape.

"Did I hurt you?" His deep voice froze her in her steps. She slightly turned to look at him in surprise, unconsciously touching her arm with her free hand. There was already a blue-green discoloration forming from his prior grip. Katakuri furrowed his brow. "I...apologize."

The effect was instantaneous. Her body jerked, and her head shot up to face him fully. "I...i-it's fine," she hastily assured him. It was still amusing to him how easy it was to read her expressions and a relief, since he could watch some of her tension fall away. There was still a wariness that she didn't have before he grabbed her, but he didn't think he had to fear her running away again.

With calmer steps, Makino took the dishes inside, and Katakuri curiously picked up the blue sheet she had brought out. It didn't take long for him to realize she'd given it to him to cover his face with should he decide to let her sew the tear in his favorite scarf, a tear he must've caused when it got caught on the wood earlier.

Several minutes passed before he heard a knock, and another moment passed before a head of dark green hair slipped through. Her eyes were closed.

The consideration of the gesture, particularly from a practical stranger, heated his cheeks. "You can open your eyes," he told her, staring off towards the green fields. Makino still waited an extra beat before cracking open her eyes to see that the large pirate had wrapped the sheet around his lower face. It was an effort to hide her smile at how the pale blue fabric clashed with his crimson hair.

Clutched in his hands was his brown scarf. Walking slowly, Makino went to sit on the block of mochi he'd made and pulled out a needle and spool of chocolate brown thread from the pocket of her skirt. Her hands folded delicately in her lap as she wore a warm smile, happy to patiently wait until he handed it to her. It was obviously important to him, though she wasn't sure how much of that was the scarf itself or his shyness regarding his face.

Tension stiffened Katakuri's limbs even though he had used his foresight to ensure she had no ulterior motives before parting with his scarf. He carefully watched her slender hands search the fabric for the initial cause of his building stress.

It wasn't until she found the rip and threaded the needle that Makino spoke. "I heard you talking to Luffy earlier. So you're here about Shanks?"

All he offered was a confirming grunt.

"Well you can stop wasting your time." Katakuri was stunned by the hardness she spoke with, but narrowed his eyes at the demand. While he didn't wish to harm the kindhearted woman, it would be shameful for a Big Mom Pirate to allow such disrespect. Before he could say anything, however, Makino continued on. "He's gone. He left over two years ago, and he's not coming back."

There was pain in her voice and a wistfulness that could be mistaken for nothing but someone missing their lover. Seeing those brown eyes mist over as they burned a hole through the cloth she was sewing was enough of a confirmation. It was a love doomed to fail from the beginning, Katakuri believed, not that he knew much on the subject. Few in his family did. Born and raised knowing they'd be married off for political reasons or to introduce a new race into the family, those that found love with their spouses were very much the exception.

Clearing her throat, Makino tied off the thread and snipped the extra length. She wiped away the tears pooling in her eyes before they could fall and put on the brightest smile she could.

"I'm sorry you came all the way out here for nothing." Handing him back his scarf, and receiving a polite nod in gratitude, Makino went inside to give him the privacy to exchange the fabrics.

If she was surprised to see him gone when she went back out, the pale blue sheet folded atop the mochi block, then she didn't show it. Just took a deep breath to clear her thoughts before returning to work.

* * *

The moment he returned to Whole Cake Island, Katakuri made his way to the Chateau to see Mama. She wouldn't appreciate any delay in his report. Not only had he found the island Red Hair was rumored to dock at, but he'd spoken to two people with close, personal relationships to him.

Mama would be ecstatic.

He found her sitting in her throne room enjoying a large tray of cupcakes that sang as they were tossed inside her mouth.

"You've finally returned, _mama mama_," she welcomed, swallowing her treats. There was no preamble as she immediately asked, "What did you find out?"

Memories of an energetic rubber boy and of an unusually kind woman with a warm spirit and caring smile flitted through his mind.

"Nothing. The rumors were baseless."

* * *

**Katamochi is my preferred nickname for Katakuri.**


	2. Rosinante

**Summary: The training that Garp used on Sengoku as an excuse to take Rosinante on a trip away from Marineford seemed a lot more like a vacation when they docked at a small village in the East Blue.**

**Next up is the sweetest, clumsiest tough guy!**

* * *

The heavy hand clamped on Rosinante's shoulder, pushing him up the dock, was accompanied by a cheerful guffaw that was distinctly Garp's. It was that same hand quickly gripping the collar of his shirt that kept him from falling forward and faceplanting on the wooden planks. At his height, it was difficult to make Rosinante feel like a doll, but it's hard not to feel helpless when Garp is dragging him backwards up the path by his shirt collar.

When the grip was suddenly gone, Rosinante easily tripped over himself and fell onto his back. A cloud of dust blew up from the road, which he accidentally breathed in and sneezed.

"Are you okay, mister?"

Rosinante turned his head and saw a little girl, who couldn't have been more than ten years old, standing next to his shoulder. Her face showed more curiosity than concern. Stifling a groan, he smiled sheepishly, pushed himself up to sit cross legged, and rested his forearms on his thighs.

"I'm used to it." The tiny villager skipped around his knee so that she stood in front of him. Folding her hands behind her, she rocked back and forth on her heels. Rosinante shyly avoided the intent stare in favor of looking around. It was obviously a peaceful area, full of grassy fields and tall windmills, but he couldn't figure out what he was doing there.

When Rosinante's adoptive father, Sengoku, had given Garp permission to take his son, they had been under the impression it was for special training. It had seemed strange when they hopped on a ship and sailed to the East Blue, but it had honestly never occurred to Rosinante to question Garp about it.

The urge to smoke hit hard, but when his fingers twitched towards the empty pocket of his uniform, he let loose a weary sigh. Sengoku had confiscated his last pack before they left. He'd recently been trying to break the blonde of the nasty habit, not because of his health, but because Rosinante tended to set himself on fire.

While he scoped out his surroundings, he noticed something was missing. Or rather, someone. Feeling a stone drop in his stomach, he turned back and dropped his gaze to the little girl who started brushing dust off her dress. Even sitting he towered over the young girl. "Do you know where the man I was with went? Black and gray hair with a scar around his eye?" Rosinante asked, rubbing a hand through his shaggy blond hair.

She giggled. "Mr. Garp has already left."

"H-he what?" the young Marine choked out, staring at her in wide eyed disbelief. Smiling innocently, she raised a hand and pointed behind him. In the distance, he could see a dense forest and wondered what was so important that Garp was already out of sight.

"He said he needed to go up the mountain," she explained before adding with a laugh, "He ran off the moment you tripped."

Rosinante sighed and offered her a strained smile. There was no point in trying to be surprised. It was Garp after all. "Do you have a name, kid?"

"Of course," she teased, giggling into her hands before reaching one out to him. "My name is Makino!"

"Rosinante." Due to the massive size difference, he lightly grabbed her hand with the tips of his fingers, but got a surprise when she tightly grasped his index and middle fingers. Grinning, he complimented indulgently, "That's a strong grip."

"Mr. Garp says a limp handshake is the sign of a weak will."

Nonplussed, Rosinante chuckled awkwardly and idly replied, more to himself, "Does he now?"

Makino tugged on his hand, signaling him to get up and follow her. "Come on, Mr. Rosi. Mr. Garp will be gone for awhile, so you can come wait at the bar!" Rosinante's face flushed at the affectionate nickname and allowed himself to be pulled along to a nearby wooden building with a sign reading Partys Bar, a sign he became intimately familiar with when he didn't duck fast enough and smashed his forehead into it.

It was a miracle he didn't fall, but he'd credit that to the cheerful girl that refused to let go of his hand until they came to a stop at the bar counter. Knowing there wasn't much else he could do since Garp had disappeared, Rosinante chose a stool and expected Makino to sit next to him. Much to his surprise, she instead skipped around to the other side of the wooden counter where she tied an off-white apron around her waist and covered her dark green hair with a yellow bandana.

A mug of beer he didn't order was placed in front of him. It wasn't a preferred drink of his, but the wide, dark eyes staring expectantly at him had him taking a polite sip anyway. He held the cold glass to his reddening forehead for a moment. Well used to the consequences of his chronic clumsiness, he knew the ache wouldn't last long.

"So," the word was extended in a mischievous tone while Makino climbed up onto what must have been a stepstool behind the counter so that she could lean her elbows on the wooden surface, "you work with Mr. Garp, right?"

Not wanting to get into detail about the complex infrastructure explaining that, while yes they were both employed by the Marines, they were in different divisions and didn't go on missions together, Rosinante gave a single, confirming nod. It seemed to pacify her well enough, though she immediately launched into questions about his job, wanting to hear exciting stories about life on the seas. He'd never been much of a story teller, so he mostly gave brief summaries about situations he'd been in and was content to simply answer her questions.

What got her the most excited - he honestly thought she'd vibrate off the counter - was when he told her about the mission where he'd earned his current rank of Lieutenant, as it was also when he'd discovered his Devil Fruit. Unsurprisingly, she had never heard of the mystical fruits before and was eager to learn about them.

"You can do magic?" she asked in awe. "Can you show me? Pretty please?!" Unable to refuse the hopeful sparkle in her eyes, Rosinante reached over and laid his hand on top of her head.

"Calm," he muttered, invoking his power, before sitting back and waiting.

Makino looked around expectantly, scanning the space around her then down her body for any differences. Her lips fell into a disappointed frown, but when she tried to speak only to hear nothing, her face lit up with delight. Holding back an amused chuckle, Rosinante watched as the young girl kept trying to talk, obviously attempting to go louder and louder until she would've been screaming only for silence to reign.

Her shoulders shook from noiseless merriment until he released the cancellation and set free her childish peals of laughter. While she was still catching her breath, he snapped his fingers and called out, "Silent," and an invisible dome surrounded them, small enough that they were the only ones affected.

It took Makino a moment to realize what had happened, but since she'd already figured out the theme of his power, it wasn't difficult to notice the absence of chatting bar patrons and clinking glasses. Seeing her amazement was a welcome change, as a lot of other Marines he'd shown off his Devil Fruit to were less than impressed with its lack of offensive capabilities.

For several minutes, far longer than it should have been amusing, Rosinante watched Makino play around with the abilities of his Nagi Nagi no Mi. She shouted at some of the other people in the bar, and then she'd hop off her stool and slowly back away until she could hear everything again. When she did that, Rosinante would say something to her, partially to prove that sound didn't travel from inside of the dome either and partially because she'd run back inside the Fruit's proximity only for him to play dumb and leave her guessing.

Still in awe, Makino giggled and said, "You know what?" and, at Rosinante's curious hum, continued, "I bet you could have the best night's sleep with this!"

The innocent suggestion warmed his heart, and he smiled back. "You're right!"

Eventually, he had to cancel out his Nagi Nagi no Mi after an older woman, presumably the bar owner, appeared and scolded Makino for not paying attention and tending bar. When Makino called her "mom," Rosinante finally understood why a little girl was working in a bar in the first place. Other than a few times where she had to go serve drinks, the two were free to continue talking. Makino was curious about life at sea, and Rosinante was always comforted listening to kids talk about pleasant childhoods.

Hours flew by while he slowly sipped the gifted beer, eventually ordering food to go with it when Garp still showed no signs of returning. He still couldn't figure out his purpose for being brought to Dawn Island in the first place. Mentioning to Makino in passing that it was supposed to have been for training and that maybe he was supposed to have followed Garp into the forest, the normally cheerful girl frowned and quickly shook her head.

"You really shouldn't. It's dangerous there," she told him, insisting that only Mr. Garp could handle all of the wild beasts and bandits that made their homes in the mountains. Rosinante felt the unintentional insult pierce him like a gunshot. Regardless of his clumsiness, he had earned his rank, but when he opened his mouth to reassure the girl, he took in her open concern and instead offered a smile and patted her head, thanking her for the warning.

The night continued smoothly from that point. With no interest in returning to sleep on the ship, Rosinante remained in his seat at the bar until his head eventually fell to his crossed arms.

He woke to a sharp punch to his head and a hearty, "Rise and shine, boy!" that made him squeeze his eyes shut, hoping it would make the annoyingly cheerful elder Marine disappear. Rosinante groaned and sat up, rubbing the already swelling bump. Garp was grinning down at him and an involuntary shudder ran along his spine. "It's time to go."

Rosinante blinked.

"Go? Go where?"

"Back to HQ."

In his haste to get up off the stool, Rosinante's foot caught on his own ankle, and he tripped over himself, earning an exasperated sigh from his superior, who easily lifted the nine foot man to his feet by the back of his shirt. Feeling like a kitten held by the scruff, he blurted out, "But we just got here yesterday," adding on a quick, "Sir."

Garp offered an amused, "Finished what I needed to do," in way of explanation. Rosinante attempted to sputter out a complaint at being dragged away by his collar but was cut off by the front of his shirt choking him.

They made it to the door when they heard a shout come from the kitchen. Thankfully, Garp released Rosinante and allowed the blonde to steady himself. Makino appeared from behind the bar and ran up to him to hold out her hand. "It's six hundred berries for the beer."

Rosinante gaped in disbelief at the gall of this child to demand he pay for a drink he never ordered, but he reached into his pocket for the cash to the sound of Garp's laughter. The Vice-Admiral shared a conspiratorial look with Makino, and Rosinante couldn't help but think that this was a trick he'd taught her. Snickering to herself the green haired girl followed them outside and walked them to the ship they arrived on.

Before stepping off the dock, Garp knelt down and held his palm out towards Makino. Neither exchanged a word, leading Rosinante to believe that this was something of a tradition, and he watched as the young girl adjusted her stance, pulled her arm back, and threw her fist into the large, calloused palm.

"Good form. Try to put a little more force behind it," he instructed, waiting in a strange show of patience while Makino readjusted her feet and double checked her fist before trying again. The hit made a small thud, and though Garp barely felt it, he proudly exclaimed, "That's my girl!" and patted her head.

Her beaming grin drew a smile from Rosinante.

"I'll keep practicing until you come back," she promised, and Garp gave an accepting nod before leaning forward to whisper something in her ear. Her eyes flitted over to Rosinante. Garp stood up and stepped aside as Makino approached the large blonde and held out her hand.

Returning her innocent smile, Rosinante crouched down for the handshake only to feel himself being pulled down. He hit the ground, and a small body jumped on his back and bent his arm. Shocked into silence, and not wanting to accidentally hurt the child putting him in an arm lock, he could do nothing but listen while Garp corrected the angle his elbow was in. Makino, who was apparently a very dutiful student, did as instructed until Rosinante felt the strain on his shoulder and tapped his free hand against the dock.

It was an embarrassing relief when the ten year old released his arm and hopped off his back. Rosinante clambered to his feet and couldn't hold back his glare at a guffawing Garp, however one look at the pride shining across Makino's face made him exhale and give her a resigned smile.

"Good job, kid," he said, fist pumping the young girl.

The two Marines said their final goodbyes, earning an exuberant, "Goodbye, Mr. Garp! Goodbye, Mr. Rosi!" from Makino who stayed on the dock long after they set sail.

Long after they left, Rosinante finally decided to ask Garp about the so-called training that Sengoku thought they were doing. The laughter wasn't encouraging.

"We already finished it," the Vice-Admiral replied, his tone indicating that he thought it was obvious. At Rosinante's confused expression, Garp fondly added, "Little Makino is really coming along. She'd make a fine Marine."

The blond blanched when he realized the trick that got pulled on him as well as Sengoku. Too tired to continue talking with Garp, Rosinante moved away from the ship's railing. No reason to risk tripping over into the sea. Again.

* * *

**I'm a sucker for Garp teaching a young Makino how to defend herself (her training's much gentler than Luffy's).**


	3. Mihawk

**Summary: Doing Shanks a favor was only part of what drove Mihawk into the East Blue. It was mostly to discover what type of woman would be so charmed by the redhead as to bear his child.**

**The literal definition of tall, dark, and handsome gets a turn!**

* * *

A couple years had passed since the last time Mihawk sailed through the East Blue. Though a very tame sea in comparison to the rest of the world, he had to give it credit for producing an exceptional swordsman like Roronoa Zoro.

It almost felt odd to be sailing his coffin-shaped ship across the lapping waves alone. It had been some time since Roronoa had returned to Sabaody to rejoin the rest of his crew, but the pink haired Ghost Princess had chosen to remain on Kuraigana with him. That is, until she discovered that her old captain and former Warlord, Moria, was most likely still alive and went off to search for him.

Mihawk had sent Perona off with well wishes for her safety, though he would admit - only within the sanctity of his own mind - that the castle had felt particularly empty once she left. There had been no discussion on her potential return, but a note explaining his absence had been left in case she decided she wanted to return home while he was gone.

Witholding a sigh - he refused to play the part of pining lover for a woman he wasn't even romantically involved with - he adjusted his sail to head farther north.

Finding Dawn Island was simple enough, and the first thing he saw when approaching the island was the massive port of the Goa Kingdom. Following along the coast as Shanks instructed, he eventually came across a small dock. It was little more than a stretch of wooden planks, clearly intended for fishing boats and the like as there was only enough space for perhaps one large ship.

After tying his boat up, Mihawk made for the dirt path leading to a collection of simple, unassuming buildings. Sharp golden eyes scanned the rolling green fields as he walked. They were dotted with windmills and cattle, tall grass gently swaying with each breeze. It was...quaint.

Party's Bar wasn't as impressive as it was made out to be, but he could certainly see someone like Shanks being charmed by the small town pub. All eyes turned towards him as he entered, but he only cared about the young woman tending the bar. A baby with matching dark green hair was cradled against her chest in a sling. The boy - Mihawk had been told it was a son - cooed softly in his sleep and clawed tiny, pudgy fingers into his mother's blouse. For a moment Mihawk doubted the infant's parentage as he was far too quiet to have been born of Shanks' blood.

He could see her eyes dart to the large blade on his back but gave credit when she met his gaze without flinching. One arm rose to cautiously shield her baby under the guise of lovingly brushing her fingers through his hair while she politely asked, "Can I help you?"

"I have come to meet a woman named Makino. Am I correct in assuming you are her?"

The bar settled into a wary hush as she squared her shoulders and said, "I am." Despite her attempt at bravery, the swordsman saw the slight tremor of her hands as they clutched the babe closer to her breast and felt her alarm like pin pricks against his skin.

"Calm yourself, barmaid," he said with a hint of dry humor in his voice. "I am merely here as a kindness for a red haired nuisance."

Eyes widening, she covered her mouth with slender fingertips to hide her soft gasp. "You're a friend of the Captain?" Her posture softened a fraction, and he could hear the fondness she held for Shanks at the mere mention of him.

"We're associated, yes." Mihawk cast a cursory glance around the room, each of the patrons quickly turning away when his unnerving eyes rolled over them. He hummed a low note in thought. "Continue your work. I'm in no hurry and will wait until you have finished."

If Makino was surprised by his sudden dismissal, she hid it well. In an interesting show of control, he could feel her emotions smooth out as she adopted a pleasant smile. "Would you like anything in the meantime?"

"A glass of your finest red wine would be suitable." He left her to her business and chose one of the few empty tables set beside the wall opposite of the entrance, leaning Yoru leisurely against the wall beside him. When the woman served him his drink, she left the bottle sitting on the table for him. Picking it up, he read the label with an impassive face. Nothing nearly as decadent as what he had stored within his personal wine cellar back home on Kuraigana, but it would have been unreasonable to expect her to be able to cater to his inexplicably expensive and exotic tastes. Nonetheless, Mihawk accepted it was a polite nod. While a simple red wine, it was one of the better brands available within the East Blue.

A passing thought crossed his mind that he should have brought a bottle as a gift to commemorate the child. Though not to everyone's taste, he had a particularly rare vintage made from the lightning berries of Raijin Island in the New World. It quite literally sparked across the tongue with every sip. Or perhaps a traditional red from Alabasta would be more appropriate.

He thought on it a while longer as he watched Makino move about the bar, serving and cleaning rather gracefully despite the infant tied to her chest. For a moment, he had to wonder if there was no one to watch the child while she worked. Every so often she would glance in his direction, feeling his unwavering gaze on her as he sipped his cabernet.

From when he arrived to closing time, hours had passed, but Mihawk had been completely honest when he said he was in no rush. Perhaps after his task is complete, he'd take a long sojourn throughout the East Blue to put off the inevitable journey back to his empty castle. The bottle of red wine was nearly empty when Makino finally sat down across from him. Her son was awake in her arms and grasping aimlessly at the air. She shifted him so he could see the swordsman which allowed Mihawk to see Shanks' slate grey eyes staring back at him.

"How's the wine?" she asked.

"It was acceptable," he replied, having to fight the urge to smile when he heard Perona in his head shouting about his rudeness and, for her sake, adding a rather flat sounding, "Thank you."

Makino smiled at him, but her attention was quickly swept away as her baby began to fuss. She quickly began tickling his tummy and pressing soft kisses into his hair until he giggled with abandon. "Now then, you said that he sent you?" It was intelligent of her to avoid the use of Red Hair's name, Mihawk approved. While he had no intention of revealing this bit of domestic bliss to the government, there are many a fool who would say the same only to do exactly that after receiving a verbal confirmation.

"More that he requested I stop by should I be in the area." It was a matter of pride that Red Hair couldn't "send" him to do anything, but it was a convenient excuse to get away from Kuraigana.

"And who exactly are you? You know my name but have neglected to give your own." She was polite but bold, and he noticed she didn't offer the name of her son.

"I am 'Hawkeye' Mihawk," he said. Her eyes widened a fraction.

"Of the Seven Warlords?" she confirmed. "Garp has mentioned you before. He's off visiting friends but should be back in town by tomorrow if you'd like to speak to him." A clever warning of a Vice Admiral's nearby presence disguised as an innocent invitation in respect to his station.

"That won't be necessary. I was merely asked to ensure that his lover and child were well and to inquire if there was anything needed of him." The request had also come with an abundance of disgustingly romantic prose of which Mihawk had no intention of repeating.

"While I appreciate you taking the time to come here," Makino said, lifting her baby to nuzzle him gently, "we'll be just fine until he comes back to us."

"And is that your plan? To wait here with only the hope he returns someday?"

"He promised he would, and I know the Captain is a man of his word." There was no doubt hidden beneath her words. From anyone else, Mihawk may have pitied such blind devotion, but having heard himself the way Red Hair spoke of this woman, he believed her faith was well placed. "Do you have someone special to you, Mihawk?"

Rarely did anyone catch him off guard, but her question gave him a momentary pause. He took a sip of wine and recognized the look in her eyes as naught but innocent curiosity. Perhaps it was that which had him admitting, "There was someone. A young lady who took up residence in my castle."

"What happened?"

"She left to go find her captain."

"Oh," she said, offering a look of sympathy that he did not appreciate. "Are you worried that she won't come back?"

Mihawk refused to dignify that with an answer.

Makino looked down with a thoughtful hum, eyes brightening as she brushed the soft skin of her baby's cheeks with a gentle finger, chuckling when he tried to put it in his mouth.

After a moment, she asked, "Do you love her?"

"I am...fond of her." He felt no shame or embarrassment in saying so, though he withheld a huff at the amused quirk of the woman's lips from his phrasing.

"Maybe it isn't my place, but speaking as someone who also got left behind, you should let her know." She met his gaze with a serious expression. "Even though I knew how I felt, I said nothing when the Captain first left this island, and I had to wait ten years before getting another chance."

Disinclined to agree or disagree with her, Mihawk only said, "I will consider your words," before polishing off the last of the red wine she'd given him. Strapping Yoru onto his back, he left more than enough berries on the table to pay for his drink, and thanked her for her time.

Their more personal conversation must have endeared him to her in someway, because he didn't get too far before she asked, "Would you like to hold him before you go?"

Mihawk glanced at the child who had taken to blowing spit bubbles and gave a firm, "No," walking out the door with a final passing, "Good bye."

Night had fallen, but he preferred to leave than risk any potential interactions involving his romantic life or Red Hair's unfortunately cute child. At least the baby looked more like his mother, so it wouldn't seem like a compliment to Shanks should Mihawk ever admit it to him. The Coffin Boat was exactly where he left it with all of his supplies untouched as expected.

Most would not be surprised to hear that Mihawk greatly enjoyed the serenity of sailing in the dark, the only lights stemming from the stars reflecting across the inky sea and the green flames of his raft, which he'd been told give off the impression of a spirit walking across the water. Coming from Perona, it was possibly the most complimentary thing she'd ever said to him. It was in the dark, peaceful silence, that his attention was quickly brought to the sound repeating within his bag.

_Purupurupuru. Purupurupuru. Purupurupu. Purupurupuru._

Typically he only carried a Den Den Mushi with him in the case of an emergency, and very few had access to his number. Pulling out the creature who looked unusually distraught as it rang, his eyebrow raised in curiosity at who could be calling.

_Purupurupuru. Purupuru-catcha!_

"Yes?"

"_Mihawk, you jerk! I come back from looking for Moria, and all I find is a stupid note?!"_

Golden eyes widening, he stared at the Den Den which had puffed up its cheeks in a very familiar way that warmed his heart. It was far too pleasing to hear her voice again than it should have been, particularly since she admitted that she had returned to Kuraigana.

"Ah, Ghost Girl. How did your search fare?"

The Den Den started to cry and sniffle, all prior anger vanishing as Perona sobbed, "_Terrible."_ He could hear her blow her nose. "_I m-managed to track him all the way t-to Blackbeard, and he-he's…"_ She broke off into unintelligible syllables that Mihawk didn't even attempt to make sense of, but it was obvious what had happened. He'd already heard of Blackbeard's hunt for powerful Devil Fruits, and it seemed Moria's made the list.

While there was certainly no love lost between Mihawk and Moria - personally he'd always found the pirate irritating - he did at least try to be considerate of Perona's pain. To be honest, he was more relieved that she was safe after being so close to Blackbeard considering the great potential of her own Horo Horo no Mi.

"I am pleased you're alright, Perona." The unusually kind words and even rarer use of her name sent her stammering and, despite the tears still in its eyes, the Den Den blushed bright red.

Her voice was still watery when she blurted out, "_The Humandrills ruined my pumpkins."_

"We'll fix them," Mihawk promised.

"_Are you coming home soon?"_ she quietly asked.

"I'm already on my way."


	4. X Drake

**When I found out X Drake was only two years older than Makino, this seemed the reasonable next step.**

* * *

Three weeks at sea and Makino still spent most of her days hugging the rails of the ship. At the beginning of the voyage, she'd been assured that she'd feel better once she got her sea legs, and the crewmen seemed to find it a little amusing at week two when she wasn't any better. However, after having to look at her utterly miserable face every day even as they approach their destination, they had nothing but sympathy and often asked her if there was anything they could do to help.

Each time she'd wave them away, preferring to suffer in private and figuring they had enough to deal with. With her out of commission, it fell onto them to take care of, entertain, and feed the energetic six year old that had taken to treating the entirety of the ship as his own personal playground. Even being on a Marine vessel couldn't lessen Luffy's excitement at being at sea, and since Garp would rather laugh and enjoy his grandson's frivolity, there wasn't much anyone could do besides pray they got the kid down from the rigging before he fell.

Makino loved Luffy with all her heart, truly she did, but the ease with which he adapted to sailing briefly made her want to toss him overboard. Of course the moment that thought crossed her mind she felt incredibly guilty and bemoaned the nausea and headache combo that she knew put her into an almost unheard of grumpy mood. She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands and tried to focus on breathing in the salty air, but when a voice came through the speaker system, Makino thought she might actually weep tears of relief at the news of the approaching Gate of Justice which meant they'd be docked in only a few hours.

The seconds passed by far too slowly before a large shadow fell over her. She could barely stand to squint her eyes open but recognized a moderately concerned looking Garp with a grinning Luffy sitting on his shoulder and bouncing in place. It was hard to believe the boy who had whined about his grandfather's sudden decision take them on a tour of the Marine Headquarters - Makino is still unsure how she got pulled into it, though expected it was so Luffy would have a fully dedicated babysitter - was ready for their week long stay to begin, but she personally just hoped he could keep quiet about his pirate dream. She imagined the people there would be far less forgiving than Foosha.

Garp swept her up and cradled her in one elbow, and while part of the eighteen year old wanted to feel embarrassed, it was vastly overshadowed by the part trying to keep her seasickness under control. He had to take them to his office first - moving Luffy under his arm when the boy kept trying to run off - and even if she was sick, Makino could notice enough to be amazed at the way every white clad Marine they passed would click their heels together and salute the man carrying her. Of course she knew that Garp was a Vice-Admiral, a very high ranking officer, but she'd always known him as an eccentric old man with a fondness for flowered shirts and donuts. Now she was seeing the respected Hero.

He shut the door to his office behind him and casually dropped Luffy to the floor but set her down on the couch far more gently.

"How are you feeling, Makino?"

She weakly smiled up at him. "I'll be fine," she promised, already feeling better after being on solid ground. Garp patted her knee and eyed Luffy who had already managed to find a bag of rice crackers hidden within one of the drawers of the desk.

Sighing heavily but allowing his grandson to keep the snack - he was the one that taught him to eat whenever possible to keep his strength up after all - Garp said, "I have to go meet with Sengoku now that I'm back, but it should only take an hour or two. You both stay here." If his words were emphasized with a stern look at Luffy who was the obvious flight risk, Makino politely didn't mention it. She bid farewell to him and massaged her temples to work through the remains of her fading headache, meanwhile Luffy wandered the room in aimless circles while munching on his rice crackers.

"Makino, I'm bored."

"We can explore later, Luffy," she promised, hoping to appease the young boy. Still feeling a little lightheaded, Makino shut her eyes and leaned back on the couch. She expected Luffy to climb up next to her where he would most certainly hang upside down and moan about how he wanted to do something fun, but instead she heard a tiny click and then an all too quiet room. Squeezing her eyes tight for one calming breath and offering a quick prayer, she cracked one eye open and cautiously asked, "Luffy? You're still in here, right?"

The office was empty and the door still in the process of swinging open. Leaping to her feet with a gasp, Makino lifted her skirt so it wouldn't impede her legs and chased after him. She knew if she stopped she'd never catch up, so she didn't even pause when shouting at every Marine she ran past if they'd seen the little boy around. They pointed her down multiple hallways, and she pushed herself harder. Even though she knew Luffy was faster than her despite his size, it still amazed her that the tiny six year old could have gotten so far ahead of her.

When she finally found him, he was in a training ground. It was a wide open outside area, the ground covered mostly in dirt but bordered in neatly trimmed grass around the surrounding walls, but the most eye catching thing was the extraordinarily large dinosaur towering over Luffy. Makino's voice caught in her throat as she stared wide-eyed at the beast, at its tail sending up dust clouds as it whipped against the ground and the mouth of sharp teeth shifting far too close to the boy.

When the dinosaur took a ground shaking step closer, Makino broke out of her shock and screamed, "Luffy!" Running faster than she ever had, she skidded to her knees in front of Luffy and wrapped her arms around him, using her body to shield him from the danger. Every inch of her trembled and fearful tears dripped from her eyes onto the head of shaggy black hair she pressed soothing kisses to even as Luffy grumbled and half-heartedly pushed at her arms. As much as she knew he wanted to be the one protecting her with punches as strong as pistols, she could feel him shaking and held him tighter. Her heart raced faster and faster each second that nothing happened.

"Are you alright, miss? I apologize, it wasn't my intention to frighten you." The polite voice startled her, making her heart skip a beat, and Makino tentatively looked over her shoulder. Instead of the terrifying dinosaur, a Marine stood in its place with reddish-brown hair and an x-shaped scar on his chin. He had a stern appearance, but there was a soft regret in his turquoise eyes as he looked down at her. The man jolted when he saw her misty eyes, and he quickly offered a hand to help her up. Makino picked up Luffy and situated him on her hip, quickly wiping her eyes dry before accepting the kind gesture. He easily pulled her up after she slid her hand into his, but her knees protested the movement with stinging pain, causing her to stumble when she stood. The grip on her hand tightened while a strong arm curled around her side to catch her in case she fell.

Luffy tugged on her blouse and frowned. "Is Makino okay?"

"Don't worry," she assured. "I just banged my knees a bit." The boy didn't seem convinced, and it seemed neither was the Marine.

"If you're injured, please allow me to escort you to the medical ward. It's the least I can do," he entreated. Glancing between the two, Makino sighed and offered a dry smile since she was clearly outnumbered. The Marine offered her his arm. She placed her hand in the crook of his elbow and allowed him to guide them back inside.

"So does the kind Marine have a name?" she teased, seeing his cheeks turn pink as he realized he'd never introduced himself.

"Forgive me, ma'am. I am Chief Petty Officer X Drake. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," he said, briefly glancing at her before staring back straight ahead.

Giggling into Luffy's hair, she said, "Just Makino is fine, and this little guy is Luffy." Luffy laughed and scrambled around in her arms, ignoring her surprised, "Careful!" until she was barely grasping his legs while he leaned onto her shoulder.

"Hey, hey! Did you see the dinosaur?" Now that the fear of the moment had passed, it wasn't surprising Luffy looked back and only thought about the excitement. Makino admired that in him, as she herself couldn't quite get the image of large teeth out of her mind.

Drake looked down at the boy and corrected him, "I was the dinosaur. An allosaurus, to be exact." The stars in Luffy's eyes could not get any bigger.

"Marines can turn into dinosaurs?!" Luffy turned to grin at Makino. "Did you hear that, Makino? Grandpa never told me that!" She did, and she couldn't quite believe it despite the evidence that she was literally touching. Even though she vaguely remembered a kind Marine visiting Foosha and telling her all about Devil Fruits, even showing off his own, witnessing someone transformed into a dinosaur was a bit difficult to swallow.

"Maybe your grandpa can do it, too," she teased, hiding a snicker at the way Luffy's face immediately paled before he threw his arms around her neck and begged her to hide him from Dino Gramps. She laughed and hugged him tighter, promising to keep him safe.

"I can assure you that as far as I'm aware, I am the only one on the base with a dinosaur Zoan Devil Fruit," Drake offered awkwardly, unsure if their concern was serious or not. Luffy lifted his head from Makino's shoulder and stared wide eyed at the Marine with a thoughtful expression.

Knowing what was causing it, Makino leaned in and loudly whispered, "He means he ate a magic fruit, and he's the only one that can turn into a dinosaur."

"Oh." Luffy dragged out the syllable and relaxed against Makino with a snicker. "I almost thought Marines were cool." Drake gaped at the young boy who had the audacity to insult the Marines while literally inside a Marine base, and Makino was torn between amusement - it was such a Luffy thing to say - and mortification. She was about to scold him, but they had already arrived at the infirmary.

Drake walked them in and waited until a kind nurse ushered Makino to sit on one of the cots, but the moment she started pulling her skirt up over her knees, he flushed pink and turned on his heels to face the other direction.

"If that is all," he said a little too loudly to be natural, "then I must return to my duties."

"Of course. It was very nice to meet you," Makino replied, smiling despite her disappointment that the attractive man was leaving. She blushed at the thought and quickly distracted herself by making sure Luffy didn't destroy anything while the nurse treated the scrapes on her knee.

It was a shame they'd most likely never see him again.

However, Makino was proven wrong the very next day. She had passed the morning watching Garp train Luffy before dropping them off at the dining hall for lunch. Having already finished her meal, she was leaning against her hand and smiling fondly as Luffy ate enough food for a full grown man. There were many other Marines in the room looking on in shock and minute disgust, but Makino was well used to the boy's eating habits, though she occasionally spoke up to tell him to slow down or wipe a morsel off his cheek.

The two of them stuck out amidst the white uniforms of the Marines that surrounded them, but only one made the decision to approach. Makino looked up and was pleasantly surprised to see Drake smiling awkwardly at her with his own tray.

"Chief Petty Officer Drake, it's nice to see you again," she greeted, gesturing with her hand to offer him a seat that he accepted after a moment's hesitation.

"Drake is fine. I admit I didn't expect you two to still be around." He spared a glance at Luffy, who barely seemed to notice the new arrival, and turned back to the pretty lady.

"We'll be around for a few days before returning to the East."

"Ah, you're from the East Blue?" he asked in interest.

"That's right," she grinned. "Have you ever been?"

"I haven't. I hail from the North Blue, myself."

"What's it like? Is it beautiful?"

Drake was quiet for a moment. "It can be." His voice was stilted, and he changed the subject. "Are your knees feeling better?" Someone nearby snorted, and Drake glared in their direction, color rising to both his and Makino's cheeks at the unspoken insinuation.

Clearing her throat, she assured him that the scrapes were fine. "They won't cause any problems for today."

"Exciting plans?"

With a quiet laugh, Makino shook her head. "I wish." Her eyes slid over to Luffy who was still happily munching on food that she could have sworn hadn't been there before. "Luffy's grandfather got pulled away for work again, so we have the rest of the day to ourselves, but I have no idea what there is to do."

"Well there's always Marineford Town, but I'm partial to visiting the bay when I have the time to do so," he suggested. While undoubtedly large, the town wasn't really that interesting of a place to visit as it wasn't intended to be a tourist destination.

"The bay sounds nice." Makino pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled up at him through her lashes. "Would you show us the way?"

Drake opened his mouth to answer when a loud belch interrupted them, and they turned towards Luffy who was patting his stomach in content. Dark eyes landed on Drake and widened as Luffy shot up and slammed his hands on the table. "You're that dino guy!"

"Luffy," Makino clapped her hands together, "Drake's offered to take us to see Marineford Bay. Doesn't that sound fun?" The unsure expression on the kid's face said no, but it immediately turned around when she added, "It'll be like a little adventure."

"Well, I didn't-" Drake trailed off in the face of the two excited visitors.

"Oh, go on and show the lady around, Drake. I'll cover for you." One of Drake's squadmates happened to be sitting at the next table and had turned in his chair, a wide grin on his face at his friend's obvious discomfort.

"Then that settles it." Makino stood up and brushed off her skirt. "Let's go, Luffy!" She looked expectantly at Drake who reined in a sigh and followed.

The walk was a fairly long one, even longer since Makino had to keep shepherding Luffy in the right direction, but when they reached the outside, a small gasp escaped her. It was a wide, open area that Drake introduced as the Oris Plaza. Pale stone curved around the bay like a crescent moon, and it provided an uninhibited view of the open sea. Farther off into the distance, she could make out the Gates of Justice that they had passed through on their arrival.

Luffy stuck his pinky up his nose, unimpressed. "There's nothing here." With a good natured roll of her eyes, Makino told him to stop picking his nose and let Drake lead them on.

They walked along the edge sparing more than one warning for Luffy to be careful. Luckily, the boy had always been easily entertained and was running around laughing. While keeping an eye on him, Makino was able to pull Drake into relaxed conversation. He wasn't very forthcoming about his life before joining the Marines, so Makino told him about herself instead. She talked about the small village she was born and raised in, full of cows and windmills and fields of tall grass - at this he admitted there was nothing but snow where he grew up - and about the bar she worked in and hoped to own someday.

He peppered in facts about the bay and the plaza, and when he noticed her visibly stiffen as he pointed out the execution scaffold, he moved them along towards what he considered the most interesting part of the Oris Plaza. The Ox Bell stood proud, and Drake launched into an exciting history lesson about its origin on an ancient warship, the Ox Lloy's, as well as the significance of when it gets rung at the beginning and end of the year. Makino listened on, enjoying how passionate the stoic man was getting.

As with all new things that interested him, Luffy shot forward, no doubt wanting to touch and ring the massive bell. One moment Drake was beside her, and the next he had vanished to appear in front of Luffy, snatching up the child before he could get within ten yards of the sacred object. "You mustn't mess with the Ox Bell," Drake scolded, "as its rings are also used to announce disaster."

Just as Makino caught up to them, Luffy flopped over to hang upside down off Drake's arms. He groaned, "This is boring!" Suddenly he raised up, "Hey, hey! Can you do the dinosaur thing again?"

"Luffy," she warned.

"Oh, uh, please?" Luffy glanced back and was glad Makino had an approving smile turned towards him. Giving in was inevitable, especially when Makino turned those large doe eyes on him, so Drake agreed. They had to go to one of the training yards to do so, though, and on the walk back, Makino asked Drake about what other history he knew which earned her a brief but charming smile that sent heat to her cheeks.

His transformation was still startling, but Drake assured them he had full control in his allosaurus form so she sat back and watched Luffy attempt to climb the large dinosaur. To be honest, he hadn't seemed the sort to like children, but he was showing an impressive amount of patience with Luffy - which, from experience, Makino knew wasn't always the easiest thing despite how much she loved the young boy.

The afternoon was enjoyable, and it seemed playing with a dinosaur could even tire out an endless bubble of energy like Luffy. They boy took a small nap before dinner time during which Makino asked more about Drake's Devil Fruit, wondering what it was like to transform into something else, and they conversed, sharing small smiles and quiet laughs until he escorted them back to the dining hall for dinner. He carried Luffy in one arm allowing the boy to continue sleeping and held out his other arm for Makino to take. Amused faces followed them the entire way as word spread of Drake spending his day with a young woman and a child.

He handed Luffy over to Makino just as he started waking up when they arrived and smelled the food. Unfortunately he couldn't stay to eat with them again and bid them farewell.

Over the following days, fate seemed determined for Makino and Drake to run into each other. Although he wasn't always able to escape his duties, he tried to make time to spend with her and Luffy. He took them into Marineford Town and enjoyed Makino's marvel at how much bigger it was than her hometown. She regaled him with stories of Foosha, and he couldn't help himself from buying her a copy of Brag Men after learning of her love of books.

Some days Garp was free to spend more time with Luffy, and on those days, Makino tried to give them alone time. Drake always seemed to find her as she wandered the halls of the base by herself and would show her his favorite spots with the best views, one time sneaking lunch onto a parapet to enjoy, where they sat just a little too close to each other.

It was all more fun than Makino had honestly expected to have when Garp first brought them there, but of course it couldn't last, and it was soon their last day. Drake took her for another small picnic by the bay, Luffy getting to join this time, before they had to be at the port ready to go. He walked them there, going a little slower than normal, and realized as they approached that he'd finally get to meet Luffy's grandfather.

They reached the line of ships, and Luffy ran off ahead to tackle one of the Marine officers there. Abrupt fear gripped Drake's heart when the Marine turned and was revealed to be Vice-Admiral Monkey D. Garp. He quickened his pace and snapped a salute before beginning an apology for the young boy's impertinence when Garp laughed and tossed Luffy up onto his shoulder.

"Is it time to go, Grandpa?" Drake felt as if the world was turning on its axle. While he'd gleaned that Luffy's grandfather was a fairly high-up official - why else would the two civilians have had free reign over the base - the idea that he was not only a Vice-Admiral but _Garp the Fist_ had never crossed his mind.

"Just about, kid." Garp grinned and looked at Makino. "Are you all set?"

"Yessir," she laughed, giving him a relaxed version of the salute she'd seen many give him over the week.

Suddenly the Vice-Admiral's eyes fell on Drake. "And who are you?"

Drake lost his ability to speak, so it was lucky that Makino skipped over and grabbed his arm. "This is Chief Petty Officer X Drake. He's been taking care of us this week," she cheerfully told Garp.

"Is that so?" Being under the intense scrutiny of Vice-Admiral Garp was enough to make any man sweat, much less one who had spent days growing close with a woman who was apparently like family to him, but then the Vice-Admiral's frown broke into a boisterous laugh. Garp clapped a heavy hand on Drake's back, nearly sending the man falling forward. "I'd always hoped you'd find a good military man, Makino."

"Wha-" Makino flushed but denied nothing which only made Drake's turn bright red as well.

Without giving her any chance to argue, Garp said, "Now say your goodbyes. We've got to head out soon." Luffy looked up from his place on his grandpa's shoulder and excitedly waved goodbye "to the awesome dino guy" while Garp set off to the ship.

Makino hung back and wrung her hands together.

"So," he side-eyed her, "Vice-Admiral Garp?"

"Had I not mentioned that?" she giggled, playing with a strand of her hair. She looked up at Drake, admired the face she'd admittedly grown attached to over the trip, and her heart fell knowing she had to leave. "I, um-"

Whatever she planned to say was cut off when Drake grabbed her hand and bowed over it to pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles. Heat blossomed across her face and down her neck when his gaze connected with hers. "It was truly a pleasure spending time with you this week, Makino."

This stroke of boldness caught her completely off-guard and left her the blushing mess for once. "Y-yes. For me as well." And that was all either of them had to say. All they needed to say. Drake escorted her to the ship, his hand brushing along her lower back, and watched as she joined Garp and Luffy on deck.

Makino stayed by the railings until they set off, keeping her eyes on Drake until he was out of sight. Sighing softly, she stared at her hand, still feeling the sensation of warm lips against her skin.

It was almost enough to keep her distracted when the sea sickness hit. Almost.


End file.
